- Chapter Two -
of annoyance, nail filing, and a proposal

After meeting her, I couldn't seem to go anywhere without her showing up some way or another.

It was as if her dying wish was to beleaguer me until I gave in and listened to whatever it was she wanted me to know so badly.

After her introduction in the library, where she'd stated her name and business, I left the room quickly, hoping not to get further involved with this cocky, back-talking little bitch.

But it seemed there was nothing I could do to stop her.

"Gríma, really. It wouldn't take much just to listen to my opinion on her, would it? It could even help you out in the end, what do you say?"

My teeth gnashed together as I looked up from the book I was studying. It had been four days since our first meeting, and I'd avoided her a countless amount of times, but here she had me cornered.

Matséona was standing in the doorway to the library. I wondered what she would do if I merely looked back into my book and made no move to reply.

It never did work to ignore her.

"I know you're trying to ignore me. You can't just shove all your problems in a drawer like some----you know----type of person----you have to face them head on or you'll never get anywhere."

Trying my best to control it, I lost and glared at her with what I knew was a infuriated scowl. "What do you know of it? Nothing. Get out. I wish for my solitude."

She laughed. She had a loud, lively chuckle that made me sick. It wasn't right for a person to be so cheerful after being insulted, which was exactly what I was trying to do to her.

"Oh dear, you are a sad sight to be sure." She snorted a bit in her laugh and that only made her laughter persist.

I rolled my eyes. If I was a sad sight I didn't want to know what that made her, the useless creature was standing there laughing at her own self, how pathetic.

I got up and left her there laughing.

-

"You know, my lord, perchance all King Théoden needs is a lovely bowl of soup or……………"

I groaned and tore my eyes from the King. There was Matséona, bundles of laundry in hand, smirking at me. Pursing my lips, I narrowed my eyes at her, "Might I direct you in the direction of the wash room, servant girl?"

It was a small victory seeing her scowl at that comment, but she soon made up for it by grinning again and reaching to her pocket for something. I watched her curiously and flinched when she produced what looked to me like a flattened piece of wood from that pocket.

Frowning, I watched her as she set down the laundry and walked over to the throne where I sat next to the King. It was then I realized what she had in her hand was a nail file, and she was looked sorrowfully at me as she took Théoden's hand in her own and displayed to me his long, dirty nails.

Without a moment's hesitation I snatched the file from her hand and studied her with a look of disbelief, "What are you doing girl?"

She merely raised her eyebrows at me and gave me this mocking, ridiculing look that made me feel three and a half inches tall, at least. "Well if everyone else is simply going to pretend that Théoden doesn't have disgusting nails, then I'll have to be the one to do something about it, won't I?"

I gawked at her, and she took this advantage to seize the file from me and turn her attention to Théoden's nails. All ideas for a comeback leaked from my mind and I all I could do was sit there and watch her work away at the King's hands.

It was obvious that she was practiced in nail management, I gave her that much. But it was grating that she held my attention so easily.

After a few moments of silence, she looked up at me as she worked, "You might have prevented this you know. There really isn't a great deal I can do besides file them down." She wrinkled her nose, "How long has it been since he's had a bath?"

I stared at her, knowing that my gaze was unnerving to most everyone.

"Oh will you stop with the haunting look? 'Tisn't doing you any good, I can tell you that much." Matséona replied with a raise of her eyebrows. "You do not scare me one bit Gríma Wormtongue, so you'd be well off to stop trying."

My face burned with embarrassment and rage, I stood up and took a handful of my robes in my hand, stepping down from the throne. Matséona paid no heed to my doings and simply kept filing Théoden's nails.

"Come down from there, girl!" I hissed to her, gesturing wildly with my hands when she turned to look at me. Her innocent smile was not deceiving to me, and I glared until she put the file back in her pocket and moved down the steps to face me.

The two of us stood there in silence, both trying not to look away in our stubborn silent showdown. Then all of the sudden she had the file back out of her pocket and my hand she snatched up and began filing.

My reaction was slowed from my astonishment, but I pulled back from her grasp and gave her a sidelong look. She was frowning, "Your hands are freezing."

"What business is it of yours?" I retorted, cupping my other hand around the one she had touched.

Her eyebrows raised, "There is no reason to get angry, my lord. It was only an honest observation."

I raised my chin to her, looking down upon her for the real servant she was, but it didn't seem to bother her, "Didn't I command not to hear any of your opinions?"

"Opinions, yes, but you never spoke anything of observations."

"The washing you left there on the floor, doesn't it need tending to?" I snapped, frustrated with my lack of verbal abuse.

Matséona smiled, "Wouldn't you like to further enjoy my company Lord Gríma?"

"Enjoy?" I grunted a sarcastic reply. "I enjoy your company no more than you would enjoy a knife's point."

She almost looked bothered to me, dropping her hands to her sides, the file still handing limply in one. I turned and made for the first door in sight before I'd listen to her speak again.

"Then there is no way we could be friends?" her smooth voice beckoned from behind me.

Matséona's words stopped me. With my back still turned from her, I rubbed my hands together and studied the floor. What was she trying to tell me? Could it be a trick she was playing on me? Would I somehow end up laughed at, scorned, teased?

When I turned to look at her she was smiling benevolently, but with all the laughter and mocking that she always had. Perhaps she was serious. But why would she want me as a friend?

"Why do you ask this of me? This, alliance that you speak of. What is there in it for you?" I finally questioned.

She shook her head, "It is no alliance that I wish for. I speak of friendship, Gríma. There is indeed a difference."

My eyes rolled automatically, and she smiled a bit, drawing her brows in close together, "I want to help you."

"Help me what? What could you, a poor servant girl, possibly do for me, rather than wash my clothes or turn back the bedcovers before night falls?" I replied softly.

Matséona laughed, "Help you with what?" She repeated sarcastically. "Help you not to be such a bloody alarming, horrendously uneducated excuse for a man, naturally!"

My eyes blazed and I felt anger rise though me, "Uneducated? I'll have you know-"

"Oh yes, yes, you can read and write and whatnot, but the education I'm speaking of is a social education- how to converse with people without scaring them away or coming off as too smart for your own good, that's what you need, is it not?"

My rage was incontrollable, I loathed her more than I ever thought possible. How dare she speak to me in such an boastful tone! I wasn't about to allow this.

But what came out of my mouth was not what I expected by any means. "Agreed. Go off, be gone, I'm done with you. Do not seek me for at least a day or without more ado my mind will change, I assure you."